by Prax Venter
Mark nodded and reached into his burlap sack slung around his shoulder and pulled out one of his ten gold coins. He really didn't have a firm grasp on what their true value was, but maybe this would get her attention.
He handed her the coin, and she took it with her dainty, white-gloved, squirrel fingers. She held it up to her face and then looked a Mark again, her eyebrows furrowed.
"This can't be real," she said.
"It's real, Mistress," Vale added, looking down at her with her innocent, violet eyes. The madame squirrel put the shining gold coin in her mouth and bit into it slightly. Her large black eyes went wide, and she looked at it again. A smile quickly passed across her face like the sun peeking out briefly on a cloudy day, and then it was gone.
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What could you possibly want from me that isn't pleasuring your cock, Collector?"
"No, it's not that. These three keep me plenty busy in that department. I have come to inquire about the fallen star. I heard a rumor that you are the last one to have it in your possession."
The bushy-tailed madame scrutinized Mark for a moment and then turned her piercing gaze at his Enthralled again as if she really saw them for the first time.
"Your payment has earned you a conversation, at least. Would you ladies please make yourselves comfortable while I have a private word with your Collector. Don't worry- I won't suck any essence out of him."
Mark gave his girls a reassuring look and followed Mistress Ralie deeper into Buried Treasures. She led him up a flight of creaking stairs and into a small meeting room with a bar.
Enough daylight streamed through the shutters to cast a dim ambiance over the room. Mistress Ralie pointed to a padded pink seat, intending Mark to sit, as she went past the table and stepped up to the bar. Mark sat down and watched her from behind as she filled two glasses with an unknown dark red liquid.
Her bushy tail hid much of her figure from this angle, but she stood with one long, furry leg held out sideways, and he could see that she had some enticing curves.
She turned around, set a drink in front of him and then took a seat across from him. She took a long pull from her glass, watching him as she did so. Mark reached for the offered glass of dark liquid.
"Thank you," he said, putting it to his lips and sipped the tart alcoholic drink. It tasted like a strong cherry liquor.
"Why do you want the star? No doubt for some silly quest or another, I assume."
"It is a quest," he said. "I am on a quest to save the world."
"Of course you are." She took another gulp from her glass. "Pay me one-thousand more gold coins, and I'll tell you where it is located. I'm on a quest to save my girls."
"I don't have a thousand gold. How about I give you nine more gold and only take a bit of it? I only need a sliver."
"The star means something to me more than gold, Collector. A thousand could dull that feeling- ten could not." She drained the last of her glass, and Mark could sense that she was done playing this game. She was about to ask him to leave.
"What if I paid you in vengeance?" he asked.
"Go on..."
"I know why the star means so much to you and why this enormous brothel is empty. We'll remove the vicious pack of foxes from your land."
"You sure you can take them out?" Her eyes narrowed, studying him carefully.
Mark thought really he should have done some reconnaissance before making such bold claims, but just like with Donovan and the Vull River, there didn't seem to be a choice. He had to figure something out, or he was going nowhere, for eternity.
"Yes. One way or another we-"
"Kill them all or no deal!" She interrupted him, emotion taking hold of her normally calm demeanor.
Mark swallowed. He didn’t like not having a peaceful option and hoped they weren’t as feral as the shopkeeper, Nip, had claimed.
"Deal," he said, firmly.
"I see you are a Lover, Mark. And I saw you hesitate. You promised to pay me in vengeance..."
One lone tear spilled over her eyelid and rolled down her cheek, taking some of her black eyeliner with it. "I accept your offer, Collector, but I have some conditions. Go downstairs and wait with your Enthralled. I will return shortly."
She stood up, and he arose with her. Mark gave her a nod and found his way back down to the foyer where Ahnix, Vale, and Roo were waiting.
"Well?" Ahnix said as he entered the room.
"I made a deal. We need to kill all of the foxes that Nip mentioned. I wish I knew what I was getting us into before just..." he sighed.
Ahnix caught his eye. "We will do what needs to be done- like we always do."
Vale put her hand on his shoulder and said, "Together we can do anything, remember?"
Roo stepped toward him and said, "And I will help destroy our enemies."
Mark was filled with a sense of deep love and appreciation for his girls and gave them a warm smile. He noticed that Roo had since finished wrapping the string around herself, weaving over and under in an intricate pattern pressing the black key flat against her velvet skin. She made the twine into a choker of sorts, and it looked good on her long neck.
"Hey great job on your necklace, Roo. That key isn't going anywhere without you."
She put a fabric hand to her neck and smiled. "Thank you, Mark."
They didn't have to wait long before Mistress Ralie had returned with a sullen looking young squirrel-girl. She was dressed in a white fur cloak and kept her eyes to the ground.
"I am sending my step-daughter, Sharee, with you to make sure you kill every fox you find." The older madame with ruined makeup looked down at the younger squirrel-girl, "You don't have a problem with that, do you?"
The girl looked straight at Mark with eyes filled with hatred. "No, Mistress."
Mistress Ralie continued, "She doesn't belong here. She is no good at pleasing men or women, and maybe she could learn a thing or two by watching your Enthralled."
Mark was about to object for reasons that started to accumulate when Mistress Ralie cut him off. "This is the deal. Kill the foxes and teach her. Now go, daylight's wasting."
She spun and left Mark and his girls alone with the sullen, yet pretty, young squirrel known as Sharee. He didn't think they would have a chance to teach this creature how to please men or women out in the snow hunting killer foxes, but he guessed he'd burn that bridge when he came to it.
Something didn't seem right about all of this. Was this some kind of wicked step-mother thing where Mistress Ralie was trying to get this girl killed?
Mark sighed and addressed the young squirrel they were to take into battle, "Hello there, Sharee. I'm Mark, and this is Ahnix, Vale, and R-"
"I don't care.” The young squirrel cut him off. “Let's just get to work."
She stalked forward past Mark and pulled the bright red door open letting the chilly wind enter and blow around the room. She paused and looked back. "You coming?"
Mark just shook his head and followed Sharee out into the cold. She immediately took a left and started walking down the road away from them.
"This is going to be... awkward", Vale said. sliding up behind Mark, hugging herself trying to stay warm.
"She needs to be taught more than how to lick a cock," Ahnix said joining them.
"Yeah, well. I don't know about all that. We are going to go kill these foxes. If we have time on the way maybe you girls can give her a few pointers, but that is definitely not our main priority."
The road ahead was pure white and covered in ankle deep snow. Black trees began sparsely, but Mark could see a thick forest emerge to either side of the path as it continued into the distance.
If it wasn't for her dark brown head exposed, he might not have seen her bobbling along the path at a brisk pace. Her white fur cloak was excellent camouflage against the snow. Mark had to quicken his stride but, he eventually caught up to the young squirrel.
"Hey, slow down. How far down the road do we have to go before we sho
uld expect an ambush?"
"About four miles." She said, walking even faster.
"Hey!" He grabbed her arm. "I said slow down."
Sharee stopped and turned her head to stare daggers into his face. "Why? Afraid?"
"No, just not stupid. If I'm going to teach you anything, it's how to not get killed. This isn't a race, and it won't do us any good to be out of stamina when we got there. Also, why the hell would you think it was a good idea to pull so far ahead of a pack of warriors here to protect you?"
"Pfft, your sex-slave whores? Don't worry about me- I can take care of myself!" She pulled a slingshot from under her white, fur cloak and drew it on him.
Mark heard a loud crack as Vale's whip pulled the slingshot out of her hand and into the snow. Ahnix was instantly behind the young squirrel and held a sharp claw to her brown, furry neck.
The cat-girl whispered into her ear, "Move, and I'll be the one to take care of you."
Mark could see the rage in the young squirrel's eyes, and his Lover class kicked in, giving him insight into her feelings. He knew he could enthrall her if he wanted, that was if he had the room in his party. He also felt the roiling sea of emotions Sharee was drowning in; hatred, frustration, despair, hopelessness. And a seething, unending rage.
He bent down and picked up the wooden slingshot in the snow. Ahnix knew the message had been delivered and let the sullen squirrel go. Sharee rubbed her tiny, squirrel hand where Vale's whip must have given her a good sting.
Mark considered healing her, but it didn't seem like the right thing to do in that moment. Instead, he held out her slingshot and didn't let go when she tried to snatch it from him.
"Sharee. I know you want to be the one to kill the animals who took your father from you. But, as badass as you may be, you aren't quite skilled enough yet to do it alone, or you would have already. We are here to help wipe them all out and you can either be part of it- or go home. Also, my girls are the furthest thing from slaves, and you'd be amazed at how often they tell me what to do." He shot a smile over the girl's shoulder to Ahnix. "The one behind you is The Queen of the Desert, and believe me, she is slave no one."
He let go of the slingshot, and she slowly put it away. With tears building up in her large squirrel eyes, she nodded.
"I want to learn how to fight like that."
"Good. Do what we say, watch closely, and maybe you'll come home with some new skills. Now let's get moving and stay behind us."
Mark walked away from her, and his Enthralled followed close behind. After a few steps, Ahnix was beside him, and he could sense her appreciation for his continued respect.
Vale slid up to his other side, and he could sense her shivering.
The fur-wrapped naga spoke through chattering teeth. "I was saving up for a really awesome Hex, but I had to blow some points on Frost Resist. I was not made for this. I'll be lucky if I don't lose the tip of my tail to frostbite."
Roo was tromping through the snow on the other side of Vale, kicking up showers of fine, white powder as she walked.
"I don't feel a thing." She said. "Actually, Ahnix, Vale- I really want to put points into my main attack recharge. Fifteen seconds between shots? It's too much. What do you think?"
Ahnix looked over and said, "Go for it."
Vale offered her advice too between chattering teeth, "You are a ranged damage class. Boosting the speed of your main attack is almost never a waste. Especially when yours is such a unique and powerful ability already."
"Great!" Roo stopped kicking up snow and walked slower as she concentrated on something only she could see. "Oh. Well, ten seconds is better than fifteen." Roo hopped over Vale's serpentine tail and slipped her velvet hand around Mark's arm. "Mmm-I can't wait for more essence," she said, leaning her head on his shoulder. Mark was looking forward to her uniquely warm, soft folds of velvet, as well.
He looked over to the quiet cat-girl to at his left.
"Did you pick anything good, Ahnix?"
"More general stats," she said, without taking her eyes off the treeline. Mark was glad she was always alert for danger, he needed to get better at that. Now that he thought about it, they were just walking down the road again into a known ambush. It really was the Vull riverbed all over again. He looked over his shoulder at Sharee, shuffling her squirrel feet through the snow behind them with her head down, and wondered how best to keep her out of harm's way.
Mark decided to voice his concerns. "Hey guys, maybe we should come up with a better plan than just walking into a trap?"
Vale spoke up first, "I was thinking about that, Master. Obviously, we need to get off the road at some point and try and ambush the ambushers. But I'm too big to try anything like that in these surroundings." She gestured to the black trees with sparse red foliage pressing in on the snow-covered road. She was an enormous snake-woman with a brown fur blanket wrapped around her and would be easily seen weaving through the trees.
Vale continued. "However, if I just head down the middle of the path, alone, it might pull any watchful eyes off of the rest of you, sneaking alongside me in the forest."
Mark smiled. "Anyone have a better plan?"
Ahnix shook her head. "No. It's good. I can counter-sneak-attack while you and Roo shoot from the trees."
"I can shoot, too!" the young squirrel chimed in, and Mark turned to look at her.
"Sure, just don't take any risks, and stay behind me at all times. "
Sharee squinted her big, rodent eyes at him but didn't complain. They walked for a few more miles and then enacted their plan.
Vale continued weaving her long snake body through the powdery snow as the rest of them moved alongside her within the treeline. The giant naga slowed her speed so they could keep up with her, hiking through the rougher terrain.
Ahnix was scanning the forest ahead of them with her keen eyes and big ears, looking for any sign of hidden foxes.
After what seemed like hours, Ahnix froze and put her fist up. Mark looked passed her and saw two white forms jump out into the road in front of Vale. The giant naga brought her shield to the ready and shook out her long leather whip.
Standing out in the road were two snarling, completely white, fox-women with black eyes and long black claws. Mark could barely make out their forms as they were hard to see at this distance against the white snow. Mark mentally slapped himself on the forehead. He had been picturing red foxes with black muzzles, but here he was surrounded by snow- of course they were white.
The two vicious looking creatures moved to flank Vale, and Ahnix teleported instantly behind one, activating her Assault Rush ability.
Vale cracked her whip at the other one, and it started to make loud yipping noises like a small dog as it rushed at the giant naga.
Mark, Roo, and Sharee moved out onto the road to get a better view. He was starting to feel disappointed at how easy this was going to be when he saw movement down the tree line.
Another fox, this one much larger and covered in thick muscles, was bounding towards Ahnix as she dodged savage claw swipes from her own wiry muscled foe.
Mark shouted and shot one of his colorful bolts at the new creature. The magic projectile flew uselessly behind it, and a small pebble whizzed past his ear, disappearing into the snow by its fast-moving feet.
The brutish fox was almost on Ahnix when a long iron needle buried itself into the creature's side. It spun from the impact and slid to a stop in the snow, howling and holding his wound.
Ahnix disemboweled the fox she was fighting and cast a glance behind her, seeing the wounded creature turn and retreat into the tree line. She looked back to where Mark and the others were standing and, her dark eyes went wide.
"Behind you!"
Mark spun around and saw two more of the larger, male foxes galloping on all fours towards them, their sharp teeth bared in vicious snarls.
If the creatures stood up on their hind legs, they would probably as tall as Vale.
One was headed right for Sharee
, and the other headed right towards Mark. With little time to think, he put up a protective bubble around the young squirrel and braced for the black claws about to rip his chest open.
Just as the beast's claws were about to land, Vale used her Perfect Cover ability and appeared in front of him, taking the hit on her shield. She also quickly activated her Hateful Sting ability on the primal monster causing it to focus on her and rain blows into her shield.
Mark backed up and tried to shoot at the other monster who was headed for Sharee- but the brute wasn't where he expected it to be.
The fox was smart enough to know that beating on the glowing shield wouldn’t be effective and quickly altered his trajectory to go after Roo.
By the time Mark's eye caught up with its movements it was already on her. Mark tried to shoot a magic bolt into its back as it tore into her slender side with its claws, but panic got in the way, and the colorful bolt sailed over its head.
Ahnix was distracted by the female fox that Vale had left to save Mark and wasn't going to be of any help. He poured an enhance into Roo, his only real option. Healing her now would be a waste if the huge, muscular beast just tore into her again, right afterward. He focused on giving her everything he could. There was no way in hell he was going to lose her this quickly.
Golden rings appeared on Roo's hands, and she held them out in front of her as another brutal attack was about to tear her velvet head off.
But before its claws connected, the creature became a pin cushion.
Mark could see the tips of at least six, sharp needles sticking out through its back, red liquid blossoming from where they sprouted. The hulking creature staggered backward and dropped limply to the ground.
Vale used a Shield Bash on the remaining male fox, and Ahnix, having dispatched the one she was fighting, sprinted over to help, kicking snow up as she moved.
But Mark barely noticed any of this.
He ran as fast as he could over to Roo, lying motionless in the snow. He looked down on her and saw her eyes were closed and a pile of red, dyed cotton bulging out of a long, terrible rip in the fabric on the side of her stomach.
Mark held up his heart-shaped ring and willed everything to be okay. He dug deep inside himself, trying to force the strongest heal he could into his enthralled, broken doll. Every muscle in his body clenched tight, and he could feel blackness pressing in on his vision as he squeezed every last bit of energy into healing her.